Sugar Butter
Flourwas
founded by three accomplished and passionate pastry
chefs. Together, they contribute the extensive experience,
creativity and professionalism that make Sugar Butter
Flour an exceptional company.The current management team includes the following individuals:

Irit
Ishai: Founder, Head Pastry Chef
Irit was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She spent
her formative years in Israel, Paris, New York and
Copenhagen and has traveled extensively throughout
the world.

While studying communications & government
in college in Israel, Irit spent four years as a
head pastry chef making traditional French desserts
at one of the most famous establishments in Tel-Aviv,
Orna & Ella. In 1999 Irit decided to move to
California, and focus on her culinary career.

In 2000, she started working with David Kinch at
Sent Sovi in Saratoga. Concurrently, she spent a
year perfecting her chocolate-making skills at Fleur
De Cocoa in Los Gatos, working under master pastry
chef Pascal Janvier. When Kinch opened the Michelin-starred
restaurant Manresa in 2002, Irit was at his side
to provide a seamless segue from main courses to
dessert. Her openness to other cultures and flavors
has resulted in many exceptional culinary creations,
which garnered rave reviews from the press.

Irit left Manresa in 2004 to realize her dream to
start her own bakery. She led Sugar Butter Flour’s
rapid growth from a small two-person operation into
a well-known company with many high-profile customers.
Irit’s high work ethics, incredible dedication
and uncompromising pursuit of perfection are the
foundation of Sugar Butter Flour’s success.

Irit likes
to spend her spare time with her husband, her 2 years old son, Daniel, and her cute Golden Retriever.

Karen was born in Israel and moved to Palo Alto with her family at a young age. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA where she studied Psychology and Public Policy. Throughout college, Karen volunteered in a number of positions tutoring at-risk youth, mentoring chronically sick children, and conducting research studying the effects of schizophrenia and epilepsy on children. She found a creative outlet editing UCLA’s only literary journal, and spent her summers working at a corporate law firm in Palo Alto.

Among her most formative experiences at school was when she studied abroad and spent a semester sailing around the world while attending classes. While at UCLA, Karen discovered her love for baking when she helped a friend bake good luck treats for friends before final exams.

After graduating, Karen traveled throughout Europe and eventually settled back down in the Bay Area as a Research Assistant conducting education policy research. Karen’s passion for pastry and cake decorating continued to flourish and overtook her interest in her day job. Karen quit her job to begin interning at Sugar Butter Flour while also working as a cupcake decorator at a local cupcakery. Less than half a year later, Sugar Butter Flour hired Karen as a Kitchen Manager and she is now in charge of Cake Decorating Operations. She continues to work on perfecting her cake decoration skills.

Marci was born in the small town of Brawley, California in the southeast corner of the State near the Mexican border. Growing up in a household of two older sisters, father, and a mother that was considered an exceptional cook. She graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville Oregon in 2003 where her nurturing personality had her working after classes in an after school child care facility. After graduation she traveled back to California, accepting a position as a Nanny in Los Gatos California to care for three young girls of a hardworking entrepreneurial family.

This position gave Marci the opportunity to rediscover her baking and cooking skills preparing most of the children’s meals and making special treats. She also took delight in teaching her young charges the rudiments of cooking and baking.
While studying to be a Pastry Chef at the Professional Culinary Institute she worked at a long term stay facility where she delighted her associates with constant offerings of sumptuous desserts.

Marci joined the staff at Sugar Butter Flour in the summer of 2009 but continues her work with young children at a Day Care Center and enjoys visiting her parents and sisters when possible.